Post pressurizing material treatment for bodies moving through fluid

ABSTRACT

A post pressurizing material is preferably embodied in a collection of dense, flexible elements oriented generally perpendicularly and extending from a flexible mounting base which can be attached to the rear surface of the body. The elements have the ability to entrap fluid flow and accumulate pressure therein so that, in applied form, it will reduce drag and simultaneously push or propel the body to which rear surface it is attached into the fluid.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to and claims priority from U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 60/528,123 filed Dec. 9, 2003.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to additions made to the surfaceconstruction of a body for improving the movement of the body through afluid medium. More particularly, the invention pertains to a postpressurizing material for reducing drag and applying supplementalpropulsion to the rear surface of the body moving through fluid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various surface configurations are known for reducing drag and/orcreating various forces on the surface of a moving body such as anautomobile, truck, boat, airplane or other devices having a surfacewhich moves through air or water. Because of the ever-present energycrisis, there continues to be a demand for practical constructions whichwill more fully promote the efficient, fluid-resisted movement of suchvehicles and other devices.

In a round, perfectly symmetrical aerodynamic body traveling through theair, pressure builds up on a forward half of the body as air impactsthereon. Simultaneously, the area on the rearward half of the bodybecomes evacuated so that there is a large difference in pressure on thesurface. Energy needed to continually move the body requires a force toovercome the frontal pressure plus the lack of rearward pressure.Consider now, how much air is dragged along a so-called “streamlined”automobile having a rectangular shape, rough sub area, revolving wheels,wheel wells, hood and windshield, rear deck lamp, a vertical rear end,bumpers, etc. In such case, there is a huge forward pressure draggingalong a large volume of air in addition to a large suction area withcompeting low pressure. It is contemplated that providing surfacetreatment that will retain air pressure on certain surfaces willsubstantially reduce the tremendous amount of drag encountered by therear portions of vehicles and other bodies moving through air. Suchprovision is inspired by the efficient design of the posterior of a birdthat converts swirling wind into a forward push instead of a suctiondrag.

A similar scenario applies to bodies moving through water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is particularly directed to strategicallyproviding a rear surface of a body moving through fluid with a postpressurizing material in such a manner as to more effectively promotethe efficient movement of the body through the fluid with significantdrag reduction and an increased forward propulsion.

In accordance with the invention, the post pressurizing material ispreferably embodied in a collection of dense, flexible elements orientedgenerally perpendicularly and extending from a flexible mounting basewhich can be attached to the rear surface of the body. The elementcollection has the ability to entrap fluid flow and accumulate pressuretherein so that, in applied form, it will reduce drag and simultaneouslypush or propel the body to which rear surface it is attached into thefluid.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the element collection takesthe form of a fur or fur-like mass comprised of a “forest” of soft,substantially round, fine elements free to bend in all directions whensubjected to air currents. In another embodiment, the elements may beconstructed of a flat, textured paint applicator having a plurality ofshort, soft cloth or synthetic bristles. In a different version, theelements include a maze of curly, intertwined clusters made of plasticwhich would be durable and washable such as with a hose. In stillanother form, the elements are constructed of a plastic or nylon net inseveral layers.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a postpressurizing material on the rear portion of a body in order to markedlyenhance the fluid dynamic motion thereof.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a post pressurizingmaterial on the rear surface of the vehicle such as an automobile, van,truck, SUV, bus, airplane, boat or the like propelled through air insuch a manner so as to decrease drag and simultaneously improve fuelconsumption.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a postpressurizing material on the rear surface of certain sporting goods,such as a golf club and its shaft, which are vigorously driven throughthe air.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a postpressurizing material on the rear surface of outerwear worn by skaters,runners, bicyclists, motorcyclists and others moving through air.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a postpressurizing material on the rear area of various blade surfaces movingthrough air.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a postpressurizing material on the posterior of an aerodynamic element alreadybeing utilized to improve aerodynamic motion on a moving body.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a postpressurizing material on the rear area of a body moving through water.

Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will bemade apparent from the following description taken together with thedrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carryingout the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one type of post pressurizing materialembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second type of post pressurizingmaterial;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third type of post pressurizingmaterial;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fourth type of post pressurizingmaterial;

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of a rear surface of a van or truck havingthe post pressurizing material applied thereto;

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the rear surface of a car having thepost pressurizing material applied thereto;

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the rear surface of a bus havingthe post pressurizing material applied thereto;

FIG. 8 is a partial side view of the rear surface of an airplane tailhaving the post pressurizing material applied thereto;

FIG. 9 is a partial side view of the rear surface of a golf shaft andclub having the post pressurizing material applied thereto;

FIG. 10 is a rear view of an athletic suit or outerwear provided withpost pressurizing material;

FIG. 11 is a side view of a runner wearing the outerwear of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a partial side view of the rear surface of a blade providedwith post pressurizing material;

FIG. 13 is a series of spaced apart, interconnected aerodynamic elementshaving post pressurizing material applied to their rear surfaces;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of a motor vehicle having the rearsurface of a single enlarged aerodynamic element provided with a postpressurizing material and placed in front of the vehicle windshield;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the rear upper surface of a boatprovided with a post pressurizing material;

FIG. 16 is an internal view of an exhaust pipe having rear surfaces ofthe aerodynamic elements lining the walls provided with postpressurizing material;

FIG. 17 is a partial elevational view of a rear surface of a submarineequipped with post pressurizing material; and

FIG. 18 is a partial view of a rear surface of a propeller bladeprovided with post pressurizing material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED INVENTION

At the outset of this description, it should be understood that thepresent invention provides a solution to the alleviation of thetremendous amount of drag developed at the rear portions of vehicles andother objects moving through fluid as more fully disclosed in theBackground of the Invention. In addition to the representativeapplications shown in the accompanying drawings, further applicationswhich are discussed below but not illustrated are also considered to beincluded within the purview of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1–4, thereshown are several forms of postpressurizing material 10 embodying the present invention. In each case,the post pressurizing material 10 commonly comprises an air-accumulatingcollection of dense, flexible elements 12 oriented into generallyupright direction, and positioned upon a flexible, thin, flat mountingbase 14 which can easily be attached to the rear surface of a body 16(FIGS. 5–13) moving through air. The movement of the untreated body 16normally causes a huge forward pressure dragging along a large volume ofair in addition to a sizable suction area with competing low pressure atthe rear of a body 16, all of which results in a motion-impeding drag.

The preferred form of post pressurizing material 10 a in FIG. 1 is afurry mass comprised of soft, substantially round, fine elements freelybendable in all directions when subjected to an air stream but notflattened. The elements 10 a shown are mounted on a flexible base 14,such as cloth, which is mechanically, adhesively or otherwise attachedto the rear surface of the body 16. In the preferred embodiment and theembodiments to follow, the elements 10 a and the base 14 are shown in agenerally square configuration. However, it should be noted that thepost pressurizing material 10 may be sized in any length, width orheight desired, and can be provided in strips, sheets, rolls etc. ofvarious colors and textures which conform to the desired surface.

FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative post pressurizing material 10 bwherein the elements are comprised of a flat, textured paint applicatorhaving a group of short, soft cloth or synthetic bristles which have aslight angularity from vertical as they project upwardly from base 14.These bristles may have a slightly greater rigidity and spring behaviorthan the furry mass shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows another form of post pressurizing material 10 c in whichthe elements are a maze of curly, intertwined clusters made of plasticwhich are durable and washable and mounted on base 14.

FIG. 4 depicts another style of post pressurizing material 10 d in theform of a plastic or nylon net in several overlapping layers disposed onbase 14.

Each one of the post pressurizing materials 10 a–10 d is designed toentrap air flowing towards the rear of a body 16 in layer upon layer soas to convert the aforementioned suction area into an accumulatedpressure area which will advantageously push the body 16 forward whileoffsetting the drag.

FIGS. 5–8 show typical applications of the post pressurizing material 10to the rear surface of several vehicles. In FIG. 5, substantially theentire rear vertical surface of a van or truck 16 a is covered by a postpressurizing material 10 with the elements directed into the airflow. Ina large truck or semi-trailer 16 a, the post pressurizing material 10responds to airflow from the long sides and top of the vehicle. In FIG.6, the post pressurizing material 10 is attached to the generallyvertical rear surface of a car 16 b.

FIG. 7 shows the post pressurizing material 10 applied to substantiallythe entire rear vertical blunt surface of a bus 16 c except for acentral heat or exhaust vent 18. Since the shape of the bus 16 c isdictated by passenger space and luggage storage, a largely rectangularprofile is unavoidable. As a result, the bus 16 c has a larger airflowsurface than many vehicles, and is expected to show a much larger dragreduction and supplemental propulsion when provided with the postpressurizing material 10. The bus 16 c will be able to travel at higherspeeds and with a commensurate savings in fuel.

In FIG. 8, the receding lower portion of the tail section of an airplane16 d is shown equipped with the post pressurizing material 10. Althoughnot shown, it is contemplated that the post pressurizing material 10could also be effective in drag reduction on an aircraft when applied tothe rear portion of the external surface of a jet engine.

In each application of the post pressurizing material 10 on the rearsurface of motor-driven vehicles, not only is there an accumulatedpressure that pushes against the rear smooth surface and voids thesuction area normally applied thereto to reduce drag, but there is alsorealized a measurable savings in fuel consumption.

Besides being applied to vehicles, the post pressurizing material isalso useful in reducing drag when installed on the rear surface of otherobjects moving through air. In FIG. 9, the post pressurizing material 10is secured to the rear of a shaft 16 e and the rear surface of a golfclub 16 f.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are illustrative of the use of post pressurizingmaterial 10 on the rear outerwear 16 g of a moving individual, namelythe portions covering the back, the seat, the hamstrings and the lowerrear legs. Application could also be made to the back of theindividual's particular footwear. Such modified outerwear 16 g isintended for runners, skiers, skaters, etc. as well as for bike riders,motorcyclists and the like. Use of the post pressurizing material 10will be able to increase the moving performance of the individual.

FIG. 12 shows a post pressurizing material 10 joined to a rear area onthe suction face of a blower blade 16 h. A similar application may bemade on fan or helicopter blades.

FIG. 13 illustrates a set of spaced apart, truncated aerodynamicelements 16 i such as disclosed in applicant's co-pending provisionalpatent application U.S. Ser. No. 60/511,393 filed Oct. 15, 2003, nowU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/967,055, filed Oct. 15, 2004 whichis herein incorporated by reference. Elements 16 i are arranged inparallel across lateral surfaces of a body to increase the efficientmovement of the body through air and other media. Each element has anupwardly curving nose 16 j which is connected to a vertical rearwardwall 16 k depending from the back end of the nose 16 j. Elements 16 iare shown as being joined by connections 16 l. Testing has shown thatthe rearward wall 16 k accumulates forward pressure which exceedsrearward pressure on the nose 16 j. It is believed that the elements 16i will by themselves greatly reduce drag and have various applicationsincluding vehicle hoods, tops, airplane fuselages and wings, fan andpropeller blades, the exterior of both boats, truck wind deflectors,etc. To enhance the drag reducing effect, post pressurizing material 10is applied to the rearward wall 16 k of the elements 16 i and/or theconnections 16 l between the elements 16 i.

Although not shown, the application of FIG. 13 could be used on the rearexternal portion of a jet engine on an aircraft. This application couldbe used in combination with the use of the unmodified elements 16 i onthe internal surfaces of the jet engine to improve the output of theengine as well as the aerodynamic performance of the air frame. Also notshown and embraced by the present invention is the application of theelements 16 i shown in FIG. 13 in reverse orientation along the sides ofa ship to reduce drag from wind and water.

FIG. 14 illustrates a portion of a vehicle 20 employing a singleenlarged aerodynamic element 22 mounted on a hood 24 in advance of thebottom 25 of a windshield 26. It has been found from the aforementionedpending patent application that drag on the lower portion of thewindshield 26 is reduced by 30 percent or more using element 22 byitself. It is believed that placing post pressurizing material 10 on therear surface of element 22 will further reduce drag and improve fueleconomy.

FIG. 15 shows post pressurizing material 10 applied to the rear surfaceof a boat 28 above the water line for the purpose of reducing drag andproviding supplemental propulsion.

FIG. 16 represents an internal view of an exhaust pipe 30 havinginternal surfaces provided with spaced apart aerodynamic elements 32.Rear surfaces of the elements 32 are provided with post pressurizingmaterial 10. The exhaust pipe 30 is designed so as to provide a measureof jet propulsion, increase the power delivered by the engine andsimultaneously save fuel and possibly eliminate the need for a mufflersince sound vibrations may be muffled by air reversals along theaerodynamic surfaces.

It should be noted that use of the post pressurizing material is notrestricted to use in air flow alone but also is applicable to waterflow. For example, FIG. 17 shows the application of post pressurizingmaterial 10 on the tapered rear surface of a submarine 34. FIG. 18depicts the use of post pressurizing material 10 on the rear tip of apropeller blade 36 used in water. It is believed in these applicationsthat drag is minimized by retaining a layer of water that is constantlymaintained by naturally existing currents.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferredembodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certainsubstitutions, alterations and omissions may be made without departingfrom the spirit thereof. Accordingly, the foregoing description is meantto be exemplary only and should not be deemed limitative on the scope ofthe invention set forth with the following claims.

1. In a body moving through a fluid and having a front surface accumulating positive pressure and a rear surface developing a negative pressure as fluid impacts upon the body creating significant drag thereon, the improvement comprising: a post pressurizing material in the form of a collection of dense, flexible elements oriented generally perpendicularly to and extending from a flexible mounting base attached to the rear surface of the body, the elements trapping fluid flow and accumulating pressure therein so as to reduce drag and simultaneously propel the body to which a rear surface of the post pressurizing material is attached into the fluid, wherein the post pressurizing material is comprised of a maze of curly, intertwined plastic clusters.
 2. In a body moving through a fluid and having a front surface accumulating positive pressure and a rear surface developing a negative pressure as fluid impacts upon the body creating significant drag thereon, the improvement comprising: a post pressurizing material in the form of a collection of dense, flexible elements oriented generally perpendicularly to and extending from a flexible mounting base attached to the rear surface of the body, the elements trapping fluid flow and accumulating pressure therein so as to reduce drag and simultaneously propel the body to which a rear surface of the post pressurizing material is attached into the fluid, wherein the post pressurizing material is comprised of a plastic net of several overlapping layers. 